preLaw Magazine - Fall 2008 - (Page 24) Who dishes out the most money? preLaw Magazine created the list using data from the 2008 edition of the Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools. (The information comes from the ABA’s 2007 annual questionnaire, which is completed in the fall of that year.) The top five law schools in terms of grants and scholarships per tuition are: Thomas M. Cooley Law School, University of Toledo, Liberty University, Northern Kentucky University and the University of LaVerne. (See accompanying chart on the previous page for the remaining schools and their ranking). For example, Liberty University has a median grant award of $22,000 and an annual tuition of about $24,000. Dean Mathew D. Staver said the law school has increased its scholarship funding from $876,400 for the Class of 2007 to more than $1.18 million for the Class of 2010. He said scholarship funds are increasing due in part to the law school’s overall growth. For Thomas Cooley, it’s all about students demonstrating academic achievement. “Cooley believes that students that have demonstrated academic achievement deserve to be recognized, and we award very generous scholarships from 25 percent to 100 percent of tuition,” said Don LeDuc, Cooley president. “This past year, 55 percent of students received scholarship awards for their impressive credentials.” While no one would advocate selecting a law school solely based on financial considerations, it certainly is a pressing issue considering the rising levels of debt the average law student faces. It also can affect what career path a student follows and what job they ultimately accept after law school, especially considering the pay scale in some areas like public service. Liberty Thomas McAteer, a second-year student at Brooklyn Law School, said she has seen many friends who wanted public-service jobs take positions at large law firms — all in an effort to pay off their student loans. Brooklyn law originally offered McAteer a $25,000a-year scholarship. She hesitated, mostly because her mother had lost her job and the costs became unreasonable. Then Brooklyn upped the ante to a full ride, and McAteer jumped. “Not having to deal with debt is incredibly freeing,” McAteer said. “Now I am increasingly exploring the possibility of applying for a position as an assistant district attorney when I graduate. I also am considering public interest law.” Caroline Payseur, a second-year law student at Wake Forest, considered three law schools: her alma mater UNC-Chapel Hill and William and Mary as well as Wake Forest. She received a full-tuition scholarship from the private university’s law school Hofstra Law School Are You Ready to Make an Impact? • Dedicated, full-time director of public sector careers • Exciting fellowships in Child & Family Advocacy, Health Law & Policy, and Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender Rights • Public interest summer funding options • Clinical programs representing indigent people in actual cases • Pro-bono student groups: - Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Project - Law Students Disaster Recovery Network - Public Justice Foundation - Unemployment Action Center - Volunteers For Income Tax Assistance Preparing Students for Careers in the Public Interest Field • Loan Repayment Assistance Program helping graduates in public interest careers pay Hofstra Law School Loan debt • Engaged alumni in government & public interest positions School of Law Learn more about us at law.hofstra.edu 24 preLaw http://law.hofstra.edu http://law.hofstra.edu
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